Istanbul, known as the city of a thousand mosques, seven hills or one thousand and one nights and in which all the adjectives are few to describe this incredible city, bridge between Asia and Europe. With a perfect mix between the cultures of the East and the West, full of people, color and movement, as if it were all a great bazaar, it is a city to which you have to travel once in a lifetime. Feel the call to prayer in mosques, visit Hagia Sophia, get lost in the bazaars, visit palaces, watch a sunset from Pierre Loti or a walk on the Bosphorus, are some of the many things to see and do in Istanbul.
We have made a list of 50 things to see and do in Istanbul, which seem more essential to us on a first visit, based on our trip to Turkey in which we spent 4 days touring the city. We start!
1. Get lost and haggle at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, one of the largest bazaars in the world and one of the best tips for traveling to Turkey.
2. Enter the Süleymaniye Mosque, the largest in Istanbul where we will find in the garden the mausoleums of Suleiman I the magnificent and his wife.
3. Shelter from the heat and look for the two Medusa heads in the Basilica Cistern.
4. Eat a good kebbab and drink Raki, a famous aniseed liquor in Turkey, at the Why Not restaurant.
5. Reach Taksim Square, the heart of the modern part of Istanbul, place of celebrations and demonstrations.
6. Enter the basilica converted into a Hagia Sophia mosque, one of the most beautiful in the world.
Hagia Sophia
7. See the best sunset in Istanbul, in the carpet cafe in the Üsküdar neighborhood, next to the Bosphorus shore. One of the best things to see and do in Istanbul.
8. Cross the symbolic Galata Bridge located on the Golden Horn, which links the west with the east.
9. Enter the Dolmabahçe Palace, imperial residence of the nineteenth century, with a luxurious interior and gardens that are worth the visit.
10. Take a boat to Anadolu Kavağı village, the hour and a half journey will be worth it for the views and for eating the best fresh fish in one of its restaurants.
11. Visit the Church of San Salvador in Chora, even if it is far from the center, its Byzantine frescoes and mosaics are considered the best preserved in the world.
12. Walk the Istiklal Caddesi shopping and pedestrian street, full of shops and cafés.
13. Find the Sarcophagus of Alexander of the fourth century in the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul, one of the best in its field.
14. If we do not have much time or want to have more information about the most important places we can book a tour of Istanbul with a guide in Spanish, or a private tour with a guide choosing us the places we prefer to visit in the city.
15. Cross by boat from the European part from the Eminönü pier to the Üsküdar pier in the Asian part. We will have beautiful views, especially at sunset.
16. Go up to the Galata Tower and enjoy its views, one of the best things to see and do in Istanbul.
Views of Istanbul from the Galata Tower, one of the best things to see and do in Istanbul.
17. Buy sweets, nuts or spices, in the colorful Spice Bazaar, one of the Top things to do in Istanbul.
18. Eat on the terrace of the Panoramic Restaurant, good Turkish food at a good price, with views of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
19. Go up the beautiful Eyüp hill cemetery to Pierre Loti Cafe. There we only have to drink on your terrace with incredible views of the city and the Golden Horn.
20. Take a good Turkish bath after a tiring day of visits at Hamam Aga Hamami, one of the best known in Istanbul. If we want to enter a mixed one we can go to the Haman of Suleymaniye.
22. Ask until you find the hidden mosque of Rüstem Paşa, one of the most beautiful in Istanbul.
23. Disconnect and relax in Gülhane Park, located in the historic center, next to Topkapi Palace.
24. See the impressive mosaics and views of the Blue Mosque from the windows of the second floor of Santa Sofia.
25. Eat fresh fish at the Fener Restaurant in the Kumkapi neighborhood, known as the fishing district of Istanbul.
26. Barefoot to enter the Blue Mosque, and see the more than 20,000 blue tiles of the dome.
The blue Mosque
27. Visit the remains of the ancient Constantinople Racecourse with the oldest monument in Istanbul, an Egyptian obelisk.
28. Staying in a hotel in the historic center, around Taksim Square. We recommend the Adamar Hotel with fantastic views of the city from its terrace and The Million Stone Hotel, both located a few meters from the Basilica of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. In addition to their excellent location and good communication with the airport, both offer full breakfasts and have one of the best quality / price ratios in the city.
29. Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
30. Ask for the bill if we buy a carpet, the most typical souvenir in Istanbul. Of course, at the airport they could make us teach.
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Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Istanbul by travelers:31. Do not get dizzy when you see a show of the Giróvagos Dervishes, a very famous Sufi dance in Turkey.
32. Visiting the Ortaköy Mosque built on the banks of the Bosphorus in 1856, is one of the best things to see in Istanbul.
33. If we take a taxi, check that it is official, that you put the meter, that you do not put the night rate if it is day, monitor the change ... it is one of the transports that is best avoided in Istanbul ...
34. Take a boat to see the Leandro Tower or Maiden's Tower, located on a small islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait.
35. Visit the huge Topkapi Palace, center of the Ottoman Empire and with magnificent views of the Bosphorus.
Topkapi Palace
36. Stroll at night through Sultanahmet Park to see the impressive Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia illuminated.
37. Have dinner and have a drink at the Mikla Restaurant, located on the top floor of the Marmara Pera hotel with fantastic views of the city and the Golden Horn.
38. See the daily life of people in the Üsküdar neighborhood, in the Asian part, with very few tourists and a lot of charm.
39. Save a few days to visit Cappadocia, one of the essential places to visit in Turkey, full of landscapes from another planet such as fairy chimneys or the Goreme Valley. We can do the 4-day bus tour or the day trip by plane, both located among the best excursions in Istanbul.
40. Find the popular market in Eminönü, near the species bazaar, much cheaper than the most famous and tourist-free bazaars.
41. Have tea on one of the terraces of the Gülhane Park with good views of the Asian side. One of the best things to do in Istanbul.
42. Go through the lower part of the Galata Bridge, with a lot of atmosphere in restaurants and cafes.
43. Sail on a cruise on the Bosphorus Strait and see one shore Asia and the other Europe. We can also book a night cruise with dinner.
Bosphorus Cruise
44. Eat typical Turkish food with a modern reinterpretation at the Asitane Restaurant, next to the Church of San Salvador de Chora.
45. Avoid wearing shorts or tank tops if we plan to enter a mosque, although they will leave something to cover you if you do not wear anything.
46. Stroll through the Beyazit neighborhood, starting with its large square. It is characterized by its traditional shops, coffee shops, tea shops and craft workshops.
47. Visit the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, full of ceramics, sculptures, carpets, sarcophagi and various versions of the Koran. It is located in the Ibrahim Pasa Palace.
48. Feel the religious fervor in the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, the fourth most important place of worship for Muslims.
49. Enter the beautiful courtyard and visit the New Mosque or Yuni Mosque in front of the port and very close to the Galata Bridge, one of the most beautiful in Istanbul.
50. Getting lost among people, feeling the calls to prayer, smelling the species ... Istanbul is a city to live more than to visit many things. If you do not have enough time do not try to do them all and just walk and observe.
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** All photos have been provided by Shutterstock.
